University of North Dakota

UND was founded in 1883, six years before North Dakota became a state.[9] Grand Forks native George H. Walsh submitted the bill to the Territorial Legislature of Dakota Territory that called for the new state of North Dakota's university to be in Grand Forks.[9] The first classes were held on September 8, 1884. The first building at UND, Old Main, housed all classrooms, offices, dorm rooms, and a library.[10] In the 1880s, UND consisted of only a few acres of property, surrounded by farms and fields, nearly two miles west of the city of Grand Forks. Students living off campus had to take a train or a horse and carriage bus, dubbed the "Black Maria", from downtown to the campus.[10][11]

Early 20th century campus scenes

As the university grew, more buildings were constructed on campus and a trolley system was built to connect the growing university to downtown Grand Forks. However, there were several major interruptions in the life of the university. In 1918, UND was the country's hardest-hit single institution by the flu epidemic that killed 1,400 people in North Dakota alone.[12] Later that year, classes were suspended so the campus could become an army base for soldiers during World War I.[12] During the Great Depression, UND provided free housing to students willing to do manual labor on campus.[13] "Camp Depression," as it was called, consisted of railroad cabooses that each housed eight male students.[13] "Camp Depression" students did not get regular meals from the cafeteria and had to be satisfied with free leftovers. However, Grand Forks citizens often opened their homes and kitchen tables to many of these young men.[13]

After World War II, enrollment quickly grew to more than 3,000.[14] A large amount of housing and several academic buildings had to be built on campus.[14] The 1950s saw the rise of the Fighting Sioux hockey tradition.[15] In the 1960s and 1970s, many student protests occurred at UND.[16] The largest was in May 1970 when over 1,500 students protested the Kent State shootings.[16] In 1975, enrollment swelled to a record 8,500. The 1970s also saw the establishment of the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences at UND. During the 1980s and 1990s the University continued to grow.[17] However, the devastating 1997 Red River flood inundated numerous buildings on campus and forced the cancellation of the remainder of the school year.[18]

The start of the 21st century was marked by the opening of two major venues for UND athletics.[19] The Ralph Engelstad Arena, home of men's and women's hockey, and the Alerus Center, home of UND football, both opened in 2001. The Betty Engelstad Sioux Center opened in August 2004, and serves as home to UND volleyball and men's and women's basketball.[20]

Millions of dollars worth of construction and renovation projects have dotted the campus landscape. As part of a plan to improve student facilities on campus, UND constructed a Wellness Center, a parking garage, and an apartment-style housing complex. Other construction projects around campus have included a new LEED Platinum-certified alumni center, a renovated and expanded College of Education and Human Development, and an expanded Energy and Environmental Research Center. As of 2014, a $124-million Medicine and Health Services building was under construction.[21] The new building was designed by JLG Architects in partnership with Perkins+Will and Steinberg Architects.[22]

In 2015, UND's economic impact on the state and region was estimated to be more than $1.4 billion a year according to the NDUS Systemwide Economic Study by the School of Economics at North Dakota State University.[23][24] It was the fourth-largest employer in the state of North Dakota, after the Air Force.[25]

Merrifield Hall

The central campus area, the oldest part of UND, has many historic buildings.[26] This area is home to most academic buildings on campus. At the heart of campus sits the Chester Fritz Library, the largest library in North Dakota. The 82-foot (25 m) tower of the library is a familiar landmark on University Avenue.[26] Behind the library is the park-like setting of the central campus mall. The mall includes several statues and is a popular place for students to study. The mall is lined with historic buildings including Merrifield Hall, Twamley Hall, Babcock Hall, Montgomery Hall, and the old Carnegie Library.[26] Old Main Memorial Plaza and the eternal flame of the Old Main Memorial Sphere mark the location of Old Main, the first building on campus.[26] Other buildings in the central part of campus include the School of Law, the North Dakota Museum of Art, Memorial Union, Gamble Hall, the J. Lloyd Stone Alumni Center, the Burtness Theatre, and Chandler Hall—the oldest remaining building on the UND campus.[27] The English Coulee flows along the western edge of the central campus area and on the western bank of the Coulee sits the Chester Fritz Auditorium and the Hughes Fine Arts Center. The historic 1907 Adelphi Fountain is next to the Coulee as is the on-campus Spiritual Center.[26][28]

On the eastern edge of the central campus area sits Memorial Stadium, the old Ralph Engelstad Arena, and the Hyslop Auditorium. These structures are all old athletic venues which have been replaced with new structures elsewhere on campus. The eastern part of campus is also the home of the Energy and Environmental Research Center complex which includes the National Center for Hydrogen Technology. The Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, which is operated by the United States Department of Agriculture, is also in this part of campus.[8] A five-story parking garage sits at the corner of University Avenue and Columbia Road. At the extreme eastern portion of campus sits University Park which is operated by the Grand Forks Park District.

Ralph Engelstad Arena

To the north of the central campus area, along Columbia Road, sits the School of Medicine complex. A new School of Medicine and Health Sciences building opened in 2016.[26] Other buildings located along Columbia Road include the Biomedical Research Center and the Neuroscience Research Facility.[26] Also north of the main campus is an area called University Village. This land sat virtually empty for decades, but has recently been developed for UND, commercial, and residential purposes.[29] University Village is anchored by the $100 million Ralph Engelstad Arena, which is used by the men's hockey team. University Village is also home to the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center, the new Student Wellness Center, university apartments, the UND bookstore, a medical clinic, and several residential and commercial properties.

Clifford Hall

The western part of the UND campus is a newer area with modern styles of architecture.[26] This area is home to the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, which includes Odegard Hall, Streibel Hall, Clifford Hall, Ryan Hall, and Robin Hall.[26] Directly adjacent to the Aerospace Complex sits the Skalicky Business Incubator, the Ina Mae Rude Entrepreneur Center, the "REAC 1," which houses the University of North Dakota's Center of Excellence in Life Sciences and Advanced Technologies (COELSAT), and a Hilton Garden Inn. The western part of campus is also the location of most residence halls and student apartments, including a new $20 million student housing project called University Place on University Avenue.[30]

UND operates a satellite campus consisting of several buildings at Grand Forks International Airport where aviation students train.[31] UND Aerospace also operates flight training centers in Crookston, Minnesota, and Phoenix, Arizona.[32] UND owns and operated the now closed Ray Richards 9-hole golf course south of the main UND campus.[33] The School of Medicine and Health Sciences operates several clinics throughout North Dakota.[34] The UND football team is a major tenant of the city of Grand Forks-owned Alerus Center.

The Council on Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability, made up of representatives from various departments, is exploring ways to improve sustainability. The campus's recycling system reduces UND's overall waste stream by 20 percent. UND has conducted lighting retrofits and installed heat recovery systems and power management technology for peak and off-peak use adjustment. Students are involved in promoting sustainability via recycling and other initiatives. The University received a B− grade on the 2011 College Sustainability Report Card released by the Sustainable Endowments Institute.[35]

The Gorecki Alumni Center on campus is North Dakota's first LEED Platinum build. The building uses a combination of Geothermal and Solar Panels to power the building.[36]

The Division of Continuing Education offers many distance learning and online degree programs. It offers undergraduate level programs in Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. Graduate level programs like MBA, Applied Economics, Educational Leadership, Forensic Psychology, Social Work, Public Administration and Nursing are offered, in addition to doctoral level programs in Educational Leadership, Teaching & Learning, and Nursing.

Chester Fritz Library

UND has three major libraries which, together, form the largest system of research libraries in the state of North Dakota.[49] The Chester Fritz Library is the largest library in the state.[50] It houses 1.6 million volumes, provides access to approximately 28,000 electronic journal subscriptions, and owns over 20,000 electronic books.[51] It also serves as a U.S. patent and trademark depository and a government document depository.[49] UND's special collections department is known for its genealogical resources, including Norwegian Bygdeboker, or Norwegian farm and town records.[52] Branches of the Chester Fritz Library include the Energy and Environmental Research Library, the F.D. Holland Geology Library, and the Gordon Erickson Music Library.[49] The School of Law operates the Thormodsgard Law Library[53] and the School of Medicine operates the Harley E. French Library of the Health Sciences.[54]

• Flickertails, October 1904-September 1930
• Fighting Sioux, September 1930 – 2013
• Fighting Hawks, 2016–present[64]

The school's primary fight song is "Stand Up and Cheer". Two other fight songs are "UND" and It's for You, North Dakota U (or North Dakota U), composed by Franz Rickaby in 1921.[65][66]

Over 13,000 students attend classes on the UND campus each year.[68] About 34 percent of the student body is from North Dakota and the other 60 percent is made up of students from all 50 states and over 80 other nations.[70] The ratio between male and female students is about even.[70] Demographically, about 77 percent of the student body is Caucasian.[70] Students can live on or off campus. On campus, there are 14 residence halls[71] and 700 student apartment units,[72] as well as thirteen fraternities[73] and seven sororities.[74] There are over 250 student organizations at UND[75] as well as an intramural sports program.

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The fraternity and sorority community has a rich history at the University of North Dakota. There are 13 active fraternities and 7 active sororities currently on campus.

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• Allen I. Olson : 28th Governor of North Dakota, (Lambda Chi Alpha)
• Dick Armey: House Majority Leader, (Pi Kappa Alpha)
• Ed Schafer : 30th Governor of North Dakota, (Sigma Nu)
• Gerald W. VandeWalle : Chief Justice of North Dakota Supreme Court, (Lambda Chi Alpha)
• Gregory R. Page : CEO of Cargill, (Alpha Tau Omega)
• John H. Disher : leading NASA manager, (Sigma Nu)
• Phil Jackson : former American professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the NBA, (Sigma Alpha Epsilon)
• William C. Marcil : Forum Communications Chairman, (Lambda Chi Alpha)

The North Dakota Museum of Art, the official art museum of the state of North Dakota, is in the heart of campus and offers exhibits throughout the year.[85] The Burtness Theater and the Chester Fritz Auditorium regularly feature theater and concert events.[86][87] The Ralph Engelstad Arena also features non-athletic events including concerts. The nearby city-owned Alerus Center hosts several concerts each year as well as other events. Each year, UND hosts the University of North Dakota Writers Conference.[88] This is a week-long event that brings together prominent American and foreign writers. Participants have included Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, Eudora Welty, Tom Wolfe, Allen Ginsberg, Louise Erdrich, Chuck Klosterman, and Gary Snyder.[89]

The Dakota Student is UND's student newspaper.

North Dakota Quarterly, a literary journal, is edited at UND.[90]

The North Dakota Law Review, published by the School of Law since 1924, serves as the journal of the State Bar Association of North Dakota.[91]

The Alumni Review is published by the UND Alumni Association and Foundation.[92]

UND owns two public radio stations, which are operated by Prairie Public Radio: KUND and KFJM.[93] KUND-FM rebroadcasts the Prairie Public radio network, which also carries National Public Radio programming. KFJM broadcasts some Prairie Public and NPR programming, but also broadcasts locally produced programs.[94]

UND operates two local cable television channels. One operates as an information billboard and the other is a movie channel for the campus residence halls, Residence Life Cinema, on cable channel 17. The University separately licenses movies for showing on this channel.[95] UND also formerly operated the UND Sports Network.